Phone recorded woman's objections as she was allegedly raped, court hears

Phone recorded woman's objections as she was allegedly raped, court hears

A PHONE voicemail allegedly recorded a woman’s objections as she was raped, York Crown Court heard.

Michael Paul McConachy’s actions woke the woman as she slept in her own bed, said Simon Reevell, prosecuting.

“On that morning, he wanted sex more than he cared whether or not she wanted sex,” alleged the barrister.

She managed to ring a friend on her phone. When the friend didn’t answer, the call went to voicemail. The phone fell to the floor.

“He (McConachy) did what he wanted to with the woman not knowing that her words were being picked up by her telephone and being put into the friend’s voicemail,” alleged the barrister.

The next morning, the friend realised he had a missed call and checked the voicemail.

“He listened to it five or six times,” said the barrister. “The telephone had recorded what the woman was saying to McConachy.”

McConachy, 22, of Trevor Grove, Holgate, York, denies rape. When arrested he gave police a prepared statement, claiming nothing had happened between him and the woman.

Mr Reevell alleged after the pair had spent an evening together in the city centre, McConachy “was drunk and couldn’t go home”.

So the woman had offered him a place to sleep and both fell asleep in her bedroom, the court heard.

“She was woken up by McConachy raping her,” alleged the barrister.

The woman told McConachy repeatedly to stop, but when she realised he would not, she reached under her pillow for her phone, the court heard.

“She doesn’t know whether he (McConachy) didn’t notice or didn’t care, but she was able to press the button on the phone to call the last person to call.”

Eventually she managed to get off the bed. McConachy told her “don’t worry it’s all right” and fell asleep again, alleged Mr Reevell. The woman left the room and tried phoning friends, but no-one answered because it was very late.

“She sat on the sofa crying before going to the spare room and locking herself in so she felt safe in her own home,” said the prosecution barrister.

This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's Editors' Code of Practice. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then please contact the editor here. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can contact IPSO here